A Long Time Ago
by Lingua Dii
Summary: Kyle left South Park years ago for a better life, leaving behind his family, friends, and Kenny. When they run into each other, Kenny's reaction isn't exactly what he had expected. Rated T for language.


This is a one-chapter story. The ending is... Well, it's supposed to be heartbreaking and heartwarming at the same time.

I've decided to upload all the chapters from every story I have all at once, assuming there weren't any chapters before them. You guys/girls will get to read a lot more of my stories, but it'll also leave many stories unfinished for a while.

* * *

Kyle walked the streets of his new city with his head held high. His boss had rewarded his effort with a promotion, a great start to his week. He imagined himself as the head of his firm's branch in the city, having gotten there through hard work alone, and smiled to himself.

«I couldn't have picked a better city after moving out of South Park. Best I could hope for there... head of the Tweak's coffee shop. Maybe become a lawyer like my dad.»

Kyle's head was so high in the clouds he accidentally bumped into a passerby carrying several papers.

"S-Sorry about that."  
"...It's fine."  
"Here, let me help you."  
"I said it's fine! Leave me be."

The passerby tried to keep his face hidden from Kyle, but there was one thing he couldn't disguise: his voice. It was somewhat different, but it was a voice he had heard for years, distinct from every other he had heard since.

"...Kenny?"

Kenny stopped picking up his papers for a second, quickly resuming his task and attempting to walk away.

"Kenny, wait!"

Kyle chased after him, grabbing his shoulder to get his attention. Kenny stopped dead in his tracks, turning around to face Kyle.

"I-It's me, Kyle."  
"...What do you want?"  
"I just... I haven't seen you in a while, and last time you were..."  
"Don't talk to me like that."  
"Like what?"  
"Like we're still friends. Like... like you care. We're **not** friends any more. Not after what you did."  
"...I'm sorry, Kenny. I didn't leave because-"  
"Too little too late. Now **fuck off** and leave me be."

Kenny tried to leave once again, but Kyle was adamant about explaining his side of the story. However, he knew if he tried, Kenny would just ignore him and walk away.

"Kenny, can we just... talk for a bit? I-It's been years. Are you really still-"  
"Yeah, I am. Wanna know why? Because you **left**. No warning, nothing. One day, you just tell everyone you're leaving, and then you're **gone**. And that wasn't the worst part! No, I had to hear all this from **Cartman**! You talked to **him** , but not to **me**!"  
"...We shouldn't be talking about this out here. Why don't you meet me-"  
" **No**. Just leave me alone."

As soon as Kenny took a step away, Kyle grabbed his arm, trying to get him to listen. Kenny immediately punched him, knocking him down.

"What the fuck, Kenny?! That hurt!"  
"Don't you **ever** touch me again. Got it?"  
"Y-Yeah..."

While Kyle tried to get up, Kenny finally left, quickly disappearing into one of the many alleys in the area. Kyle covered his cheek with his hand, wondering why Kenny had been angry enough to actually hit him.

«He can still hit pretty hard... I should go home. People are staring at me like I just got mugged.»

* * *

As soon as Kyle got home, he placed some ice on his face, trying to numb the pain and get rid of the mild swelling. He knew he'd have to come up with a story to explain the bruise, and a way to track Kenny down. They clearly had unresolved issues – not just Kenny, but Kyle as well.

«If he's here, he's either working or studying. Or both. Well, there's really only one college in the area Kenny might afford... I guess I'll start there... Fuck, this hurts... But I guess he was right. Avoiding the issue was definitely not the smart choice.»

* * *

Meanwhile, Kenny was sitting at his desk, thinking about Kyle for the first time in a year. Memories of when Kyle left rushed to his head, which he quickly dulled out with a shot of whiskey.

«Fucking Kyle... Haven't touched this shit in three years, now he shows up and... Why couldn't I have picked another town? Now he'll keep hurting me, until...»

Kenny clutched his chest in pain, downing another shot to get rid of the pain. Tears blurred his vision, his heart pounded in his chest, and he sobbed with every drink he had. After a while, he started to feel lightheaded.

«That's... better... Need... bed...»

Kenny got up from his chair, ambling toward the bed just a couple feet away. After a few steps, however, his legs gave out. Before he passed out, one last thought surged through his mind.

«Huh... Not... so... resilient... anymore...»

* * *

The following morning, Kenny woke up with sunlight bleeding through his curtains. He covered his eyes, slowly crawling under his bed, where it was dark.

«Fuck that hurts... I can't believe I got a hangover from just half a dozen shots of whiskey... Mild one, but I haven't been dealing with pain so well... Usually, I just died, so... I'll just call someone and stay here for the day.»

Kenny quickly dialed one of his friends. She answered within seconds, overly excited he had called her.

"Hi, Ken! What's up?"  
"Janet... Not so loud..." Kenny groaned.  
"A-Are you OK?"  
"No... I'm... I have a headache."  
"Oh... So you're not coming?"  
"No. Think you can send me your stuff later today?"  
"Sure! I'll come by your place after school."  
"N-No, just-"

Before Kenny could tell Janet to send him scans of her notes, she had already hung up. He sighed, reaching for a pillow to sleep on. Within seconds, he was fast asleep, with his back facing the window.

* * *

During his lunch break, Kyle looked up Kenny's college. Although there wasn't a list of students, there were several pictures that had been taken during special events. One of them had several students with facepaint, but he immediately recognized Kenny. He stared at the picture for a while, smiling weakly.

«...He looks so happy.»

Kyle suddenly started sobbing uncontrollably. He turned off his monitor to keep himself from looking at the picture, but it was too late. Every sleepover, every giggle, every kiss; every memory with Kenny surged through his mind all at once, ending with the day he left South Park. Legally, he was already an adult, even if he was still as childish as ever. Most everyone was there to say goodbye, but not Kenny, because he didn't know Kyle was leaving.

«I should have told him. I should have talked to him. Now he hates me, and... he's right... But I can still talk to him. I have to talk to him. I have to tell him why I left... There's gotta be an email address somewhere on this fucking website.»

* * *

Several hours later, Kyle manged to contact a college student – a friend of Kenny's – who reluctantly gave him Kenny's number. Kyle's mouth went dry when he dialed the last digit. Would Kenny pick up? Kyle's number hadn't changed, and Kenny probably still remembered it. If he picked up, would he even talk once he realized it was Kyle? Either way, the only way to find out would be to call him.

«Ringing... One... two... three...»

* * *

Kenny was still asleep, but his ringtone awoke him, giving him a headache in the process.

"Janet, I told you I had a headache." Kenny groaned. "Why are you calling?"

«Who the fuck's Janet? Is that his girlfriend?»

"...Hello? Who is this?"

«Alright, this is it...» Kyle thought. «Get him to meet up with you...»

"...Hi, Kenny. I-It's me, Kyle."  
"How- How the fuck did you get my number? I told you to leave me alone!"  
"Wait, please don't hang up... I-I really need to talk to you, alright?"  
"What do you want? Do you want to hit me back? If that'll get you to leave me alone-"  
"I-I'm not gonna... hit you, Kenny."  
"What then?"  
"...I missed you, Kenny. I just want to talk."

Kenny wanted to deny it, but he had missed Kyle as well. Above all else, however, he wanted to get it over with; to get Kyle to leave him alone.

"...If you don't stay away from me when we're done talking, I swear I'll get a restraining order. Got it?"  
"Y-Yeah."  
"...I'm living in the apartments near the college. Number 157."

Kenny hung up before Kyle could say another word, leaving him to wonder if Kenny had been truthful about the address. It could be a lie, but it was also the only lead he had, so he had no choice but to go there.

* * *

Almost an hour later, Kyle arrived at Kenny's supposed location. It was similar to Kenny's part of town in South Park, much to Kyle's surprised.

«This... actually seems legit... Either that, or he wants me to get mugged... Alright, number 157.»

Kyle took a deep breath, psyching himself up for the inevitable confrontation. Before he could knock on the door, however, Janet showed up.

"What are you doing here?"

Janet was somewhat shorter than Kyle, with long, straight, black hair, fair skin, and green eyes.

"I-I'm here to meet a friend."  
"You're Ken's friend?"  
"Y-Yeah."

Janet examined Kyle from head to toe, recalling what Kenny had told her about his life in South Park. When she realized who he was, she slapped him.

«Why does **everyone** want to hit me?»

"What the fuck!?"  
"You're Kyle, aren't you?"  
"H-How-"  
"Ken told me about you. You're the guy who left him behind in South Park."  
"A-Are you Janet?"  
"Yeah."  
"...Are you his girlfriend?"  
"W-What's it to you?"  
"...Nothing. Never mind. I gotta talk to him."  
"He doesn't want to talk to you!"  
"How do you think I got here? **He** told me to come."  
"We'll see. I'm going to ask him if-"

Kenny opened his front door, interrupting Janet and Kyle's discussion. He stared at them for a while, clearly annoyed, before inviting them into his apartment.

"You guys need to learn to lower your volume."  
"I'm sorry, Ken."  
"Me too."  
"I-I brought you my notes..."  
"Thanks. You know how to use my scanner, right?"  
"Yeah."  
"Just put them on my computer, if you wouldn't mind."  
"S-Sure, Ken."

Janet scurried off into Kenny's bedroom, leaving him alone with Kyle. Kenny set an alarm while sitting down on his couch.

"You have ten minutes. After that, I'll never see or hear from you again... So, what did you want to talk about?"  
"I wanted to tell you why I left South Park."  
"Not this again..."  
"Just listen, please... I left because... There wasn't a future for me there. After that whole 'Sodasopa' BS failed, I knew I had to leave."

Kenny glared at Kyle, suddenly slamming his arm against the couch. Kyle jumped, getting ready to leave.

"So it's all about **you**? You left me behind without telling me because you just didn't have enough in South Park, is that it?"  
"Ken, I'm done..."  
"Thanks, Janet. You can leave now."  
"B-But-"  
"Janet, please go."  
"...Alright."

Janet pretended to leave Kenny's building, but she remained behind to hear what he and Kyle were talking about.

"...I loved you, you know?" Kenny said. "You were the only guy I ever cared about. Every time you were away, I just... I thought you left because of something I did. I kept wondering if you thought I was on drugs or if I was cheating on you with a girl... I blamed myself because you left, I got back on drugs and booze... But I guess I just didn't know you like I thought... It wasn't my fault. You just had to do what was best for you."  
"...I didn't tell you I was leaving because **you** didn't want a long-distance relationship."  
"Don't give me that! You didn't tell me because you just didn't care how **I** felt!"  
"What if I **had** told you, huh?! What then?! Would you settle for that?!"  
"Yes, I would have! I'd count every goddamned day until you came back, even if it was just for a few hours every year! I'd fucking write you love letters and send flowers and all that other bullshit, because I loved you!"

Kenny suddenly started crying, much to Kyle's surprise.

"...Kenny, I'm-"  
"If you say you're sorry again, so help me, I'll throw you out the door."  
"...Do you think it was easy for me to leave? Every day I thought I'd try to get the town back on the map, or even bring you with me, but I didn't think you'd want to leave."  
"I **didn't** want to leave. I couldn't leave Karen behind."  
"So why did you?"  
"...She told me it was better for me. She said I could get a real education, a job, and not go the same way our parents did."  
"...She's a smart girl."  
"Not as smart as you, apparently. How did you find me?"

While Kyle explained his process, Janet was sitting outside, listening and crying silently. Kenny hadn't shared much of his past – most of it had been about Kyle and the good times in South Park – and hearing about it was devastating. Moreover, she didn't know Kyle was his ex, and it was clear they still cared for each other. She was concerned he'd steal Kenny away from her.

"How did you even recognize me in that picture?"  
"...Your eyes. Nobody has eyes like those except you."

Kenny smiled weakly, calming down somewhat.

"How did you even get the money to pay for college?"  
"...Government subsidies." Kenny shrugged.  
"Even that would only cover tuition fees. What about this place? Who's paying for this?"  
"Me."  
"How?"  
"...I got a job. Several jobs, actually... and not buying the engagement ring helped a lot too."  
"Th-The what?"  
"...I was going to propose to you, but by the time I had enough money to buy it, you had already left."  
"Y-You said you didn't like-"  
"Yeah, but **you** do. You wanted it. That's the whole point. I don't like love letters or flowers or poems either, but I still gave you a bouquet every once in a while with sappy poems attached."  
"I-I didn't know..."  
"Yeah, I got that."  
"...There's another reason I didn't tell you I was leaving." Kyle sighed.  
"Yeah?"  
"...Because I'm a coward. I couldn't bring myself to tell you I was leaving because I thought you'd dump me anyway. It was easier to leave... or so I thought... You're the only person I've ever dated; I don't know how to be with anyone else... I **can't** be with anyone else."

Kyle sobbed softly, yet Kenny kept his distance. Although he knew Kyle wasn't lying just because of the ring – to do so would be stupid, he thought, since the ring didn't even exist – he was still too angry at him to actually try to cheer him up. Suddenly, Kenny's phone sounded its alarm, breaking the silence in the room. Kyle wiped away his tears and lowered his head.

"...I'll go now."

Janet quickly got up and left before Kyle reached the front door, but Kenny didn't want Kyle to leave.

"...Janet took a few minutes to scan her notes; you can stay for a few more minutes."

Kyle winced in pain after a brief smile, covering his cheek with his hand.

"Hang on."

Kenny got Kyle an ice pack, gently placing it over his swollen cheek.

"Here. That should help."

Kyle reached for the ice pack, hoping to hold Kenny's hand again for a brief moment, but he simply held it by its edges, avoiding physical contact altogether. Kyle was disappointed, but he knew Kenny had every right to be angry.

"Thanks, Kenny."  
"...Are you OK?"  
"Yeah. Just hurts a bit."  
"...I'm sorry I hit you."  
"It's alright. I get it. You're angry at me."  
"Yeah, I am."

When Kyle's pain subsided, he handed the ice pack back to Kenny, who once again avoided physical contact.

"You don't need it any more?"  
"It's fine now, thanks."  
"...Few minutes are up. Time to go."

Kenny led a reluctant Kyle out of his apartment.

"Listen, um... It was nice seeing you again, Kenny."

Kyle stretched out his hand, hoping for a handshake, but Kenny still wouldn't touch him. After a while, he simply lowered his arm.

"...I won't bother you any more, promise."

Kyle's eyes swelled up with tears as he walked away.

"Maybe..." Kenny said. "Maybe we could... start over. As friends."  
"...I'd like that." Kyle replied, smiling.


End file.
